It is all about the photo!

 

This may not be news to you, but I have become bombarded by the amateur photographers. I cannot go to the beach without coming across newlyweds in the middle of a photo shoot. The camera or phone is set up with a tripod, there are costume changes and absolutely no concern for what anyone else thinks of them taking over a very public place. The rental cars drive up and unload fashionably dressed passengers to pose in a field of flowers strategically planted in front of a rocky mountain. When I wandered in, not at all prepared to be photographed, I was charged ₩2000 to use the flower field. That field bloomed and then was plowed over in less than 2 weeks... it was only there for tourists as part of their fall package to Jeju. 

A friend told me of another garden with pink muhly grass that provides a cotton candy backdrop for, yes, you guessed it, photographs. The garden also advertises other shows throughout the year: tangerines in October, camellias in winter, canola and plum trees in spring, then hydrangea in summer. That is a lot of opportunities to pose and whichever season of the year you visit Jeju in, there is a beautiful backdrop.  So the buses roll up and people wait in line for their turn to pose. An added bonus are the props, 'I ♡Jeju' signs and sweet framed arbors that direct you where to pose. These photo ops are too precious to waste on a simple selfie, and there are many that will offer to help you take your photo properly. 

Of course, the flowers are not the only possible backdrops on Jeju.  The island is full of beautiful coastal viewpoints, mountains and lava formations. Our recent road trip took us round the island where we stopped along the way to admire the beaches, crashing waves, volcanic oreums and craters. At each stop we were joined by other tourists wearing their best clothes and immediately posing for the camera. What surprised me was not that the picture was the purpose of their trip; we all fall into that trap knowing that photos with people get more likes; but that Jeju has totally owned the fact. Flowering plants are grown right in front of the mountain to enhance the shot.  Platforms are built to provide a safe place to pose over the crashing waves; steps and walkways lead out to the best view point; and spots are marked with a 📷 or with a X to stand on. They are making it easy for you to take that perfect shot. 

However, as I puffed and panted to climb up to a lighthouse I questioned my motivation. Was I doing this just to get the picture at the top? And so I had a few realizations:

• the view from the spot was exhilarating and could not be captured in a photo. Reaching the top, catching my breath and feeling the wind threaten to blow me off the cliff was exciting, but a shot of what lay beneath me would not hold any of the depth, dimension or emotion. 
• natural beauty does not make people naturally curious. Following the sign and the crowds led to some unique buildings erected that, at first sight, seemed to enhance the travel experience but turned out to be follies. One was a Gingerbread House that was once used in a K-drama film and now is abandoned; the other is a theme park inspired by the Austrian Hundertwasser. Most of the tourists walked by these oddities and focused on taking pictures of Seongsan mountain.
  
• we gain little from travel if our aim is to simply post online for likes. One woman sat with a book open, apparently reading, on a wall above a beautiful white beach. I watched as she filmed herself reading in that idyllic spot. Another group of bikers posed for a drone on the same beach. I do not doubt that their posts were eye catching and produced influential images. However, I do doubt that they were aware that they were on a rare beach made of red algae nodules. These carbonate structures make this a protected place and a national monument. 

I like taking pictures... I like the artistic element involved in capturing the beauty I encounter. I now know that some people like to take pictures more than I do. Most of my pictures are never printed out or preserved. Maybe that is the attraction of the photo booth, we have something tangible to record our time and experiences. I watched a young couple approach an outside photo 'booth' at the Wolgeongi beach in matching soccer jerseys. They then pulled out a bridal veil and bouquet to pose before the camera. When they were satisfied with the shot, they printed out the photos to take with them. Congratulations!

Galot & Gam Galore 옷

 

The newness of the thousands of tangerine trees on Jeju is starting to wear off. They fill the fields and gardens and they are literally everywhere. I found a few pomegranate trees in the landscaped borders of the public streets that were not exactly thriving; and then I found the persimmons! Their bright yellow stood out like plump tomatoes with crowns. I surreptitiously picked a branch to take home and paint. Each fruit stem is so short they appear to be stuck directly on the branch.  In Korean they are 'gam' and on Jeju they are associated with 'galot' which literally translates to 'persimmon dyed clothes'.  This Jeju tradition of using unripe persimmons to dye cloth was used for the work clothes of farmers, fishermen and divers. The starchy dye claims to make cloth more durable, water and UV resistant, as well as repelling insects. Fishermen found that if they dyed their lines with persimmon, they lasted longer and were less likely to break. 

Well, sounds perfect... where could I get some? I found a store nearby which advertised some modern products such as hats and scarves made of the dyed cloth. I knew I couldn't persuade Jon to go with me unless there was a scenic walk or trail nearby, so we headed for the Yongmeori Tuff coast.  The Geo trail turned out to be closed due to high waves, which a polite man in the visitor center explained was quite normal these days due to rising sea levels. He asked us to phone before coming next time. But since my primary objective was the clothing store, I wasn't too disappointed. 

We found all the usual keychains and tangerine themed gifts, but there was also a beautiful collection of modern clothes made out of naturally dyed fabrics. The persimmon dye shows a traditional orangey range of earth tones, but it might be mixed with indigo blue for a tie-dye effect. Seaweed created a taupe and there was a darker olive green that I believe to be onion. I had already set my sights on buying a sun hat. If the dye did as it claimed, it would be the perfect hat to protect me from sun, rain and mosquitos. The vendor warned me not to machine wash it, and I think this must mean the dye would wash out?  I hope that doesn't mean it can't be worn in the rain... or will my sweating create a persimmon dyed head?  I was willing to risk it. 

On our way out I noticed the vendor returning to her sewing project behind the counter. She was using scraps of the dyed cloth to make small flowers... rather than letting them go to waste. This is another Korean tradition, that of Jogakbo 조각보.   It is rooted in zero-waste and minimalist resourcefulness since long ago, when scraps of clothing were sewn together to make a patchwork wrapping cloth. It has now reached an art form, creating everything from slippers to wall art. 

I love the way beauty can be woven into natural materials and conservation.   옷 = clothes in Korean

Just Right for Exploring

It's the weekend and Jon suggests we drive and find a nice place to have coffee. We settle on a Starbucks that looks out on a white sandy beach to an island off coast.  A man enters and motions towards the chair next to us. We indicate that it is free and he settles down with a children bucket, the kind used to make sand castles.  He is totally absorbed in its contents and I can't help but be curious as to what he has caught, and why he has decided to bring it in for coffee. 

As we head out along the beach path, we notice most visitors choosing to explore the tide pools, rather than lie in the sand.  This is an active beach. Workers are taking down sun shades and pulling up stakes. The life guard is blowing his whistle, keeping everyone
safe.  The loud speaker and posted signs warn of strong wind and currents. This is the last day of the season and the summer holidays are drawing to a close.  But we are drawn to the water, watching the waves crash over the black rock and create clear pools on the white sand. The sky is brilliant blue one minute and then stormy the next. The wind blows the fine sand everywhere and also turns the giant wind turbines located just off shore. It is a major producer of energy on Jeju but also blows down trees and bends the bamboo nearly double.  Just as the black volcanic rock is used to build walls around the farms, so it used to farm the sea.  We can see some of Jeju's traditional stone tidal traps where fish are caught with bare hands. The shore line is quite shallow here, but today only a heron wades in the lagoon like waters.  Apart from the gigantic washed up jellyfish, dangers include reported sinkholes that act like sand traps and pull swimmer down.  I don't need a translation app to tell me that 수영 금지 means 'No Swimming'. But in my opinion this beach is worth a visit even if you are not swimming.

Jon and I have not been on Jeju long enough to have our favorite spots, there is still so much we haven't seen and we are still working our way up the west coast.  We try to keep to the blue line painted on the side of the road.  This denotes the Olle trails which are marked for hikers to see the island.  And whenever we see something spectacular or unusual, we stop. Sometimes there is no obvious parking, but usually we see other cars parked in the weedy verge.  Jeju is just the right size to have plenty of new places to explore without being too big to be overwhelming to the newcomer. 

In this case we passed a town we had been to before,
but this time we ignored the navigation app's directions to go home and came upon some new stores, a full service gas station to fill up our tank for the first time, and something calling itself an UNESCO Global Geopark.  Although there was no parking, and the visitor's center had long since been closed, we found some posted information as to the formation of Suweolbong peak. According to geologist a very old volcano sunk creating a ring of islands and a shallow lagoon. From the look out post on the top you can just see the ring made up of small islands and a wall of cliffs along the shore. According to legend a brother and sister climbed the cliffs to pick a medicinal herb that only grows there for their
sick mother.

Suwol slipped and fell to her death while her brother shed tears that formed the waterfalls.  I have only explored the southwest of the island, but I am finding this to be a common story of tragic death and shed tears around these parts. 

Fortunately it is both easy to buy or rent a car on Jeju, and difficult to get lost. The main mountain, Hallasan,  will always tower above in the clouds, and its slopes all end at the sea.  There are few straight highways, but you can always enjoy a ride with no fixed destination down country lanes flanked by black stone walls and farmers fields, or wind your way up the coast stopping to wonder... while braving the wind off the sea and sand.  

Eating in Hanguk 한국

 

We arrived in Korea and needed to eat. Apart from the instant ramen noodles in our apartment, we also had a Starbucks nearby. On the way home we spied a restaurant with a sign in English: 'Green Bowl'.  After figuring out how to enter, pushing a button to activate the sliding door, we were faced with an ordering screen. Fortunately there was an English language option and we were able to order a salad and an Acai bowl, using a US credit card to pay.  We sat down and were immediately served water in a jug with small cups. Later our food was brought to our table and we enjoyed the fresh ingredients. On leaving we were approached and signaled  to bus our own table. Message received. 

It continued to be easier to eat out than cook at home, and so we visited several local establishments. Most served American food like pizza and pancakes, but we felt we were missing something authentic.  Friends introduced us to a Japanese restaurant with a limited menu of sushi and noodles. The second time we visited we found them closed (another characteristic of Jeju restaurants who do not adhere to opening times).  The third visit allowed us inside to order blind on a menu that was mostly foreign to us. At one point we were served a beautiful plate of salmon sushi that we had not ordered. Nice, but was the chef trying to use up fresh ingredients before closing?  Another restaurant we were recommended simply posted the sign " Out of ingredients" and kept their doors closed.  Sometimes its was a case of which restaurant was open.  

So we realized we needed to start cooking at home. I found it impossible to find the usual ingredients to cook our usual meals, mainly because of the lack of meat and basic western ingredients in the grocery stores. I am now realizing that some of those ingredients were in the stores, but I couldn't find them, or read the labels. 

I noticed an absence of canned goods in the grocery store. Tuna is sold in a can, but the huge variety of flavors and types confused me. I accidentally bought tuna with truffle, and another with mayo.  Pasta was mainly noodles, and I only found huge sacks of small grained rice.  Contrary to the advice we got before arriving in Korea, there is cheese and bread in the supermarket, but in smaller quantities.  I was amazed at the whole aisles of miso, or soya bean paste, in different flavors, and the quantities of seafood.  Jeju is known for its tangerine harvest, so there is no small amounts of tangerines and tangerine flavored sweets available to buy.  I took full advantage of all the fresh fruits and vegetables, looking forward to a healthier diet. We still haven't been able to get our gas oven to work properly, so there is no baking for the time being.  Also we haven't been able to down load the apps needed for food delivery... so no fast food yet.

I do have to laugh at some of my first cooking

attempts here in Korea. I burnt the rice, produced chewy meat and tasteless noodles, and served salad without dressing.  After seeing that burnt rice is a traditional dish here, and you buy it in the stores, I laugh at my dishes and try again.  

Jon felt that we should be more adventurous when dining out - or he was tired of my cooking - and found a place nearby that advertised Chinese noodles. We never found that restaurant, but were lured into another by the fact that it had parking.  It was called 'Chef Chang' and turned out to be Korean food. They did have an English menu online, but the limited items were mainly marine turban snails in soup or porridge.  But there was unlimited portions of rice from the rice cooker.. 

Fortunately there are some restaurants nearby that cater for foreigners but still include Korean ingredients. We enjoyed the lotus root served with the beef stir fry, the local beer and soju.  Soju is a alcoholic beverage that we see everywhere, a clear liquid in a bottle that I at first mistook for flavored water. It is very cheap, sold for about $1.50. It is in fact a distilled alcohol up to 40% proof. 

The local tea plantation sells delicious tangerine tea and matcha chocolates. And another find was a new restaurant that sold Korean halibut served up as British fish and chips.  And they even had knives and forks on the table.  Most Korean restaurants hide the chopsticks away in a hidden drawer, or under the counter. It is always an interesting way to start a meal by playing hide and seek for the cutlery. 

Dark Tourism & Songaksan

 It was a beautiful day to explore the southern coast of Jeju and Songaksan Mountain. The typhoon had passed us by and the sun was out. Having heard the the Olle trail was more of a walk and less of a hike, we set out at the hottest part of the day. From the parking lot you can see the promontory jutting out into the East China Sea. Songaksan is a very old volcano with a crater containing an inner peak caused by a later eruption. The trail, which is really a walkway with lots of stairs, follows the outer edge of the crater, above the cliffs of what looks like layers of sandstone.

There are caves carved into the cliffs and further up we came across what looked like bunkers or the openings to tunnels. Reading the sign we found that these were the work of the Imperial Japanese Army during WW2.  The bigger caves housed military gear, weapons and suicide torpedo boats. The smaller tunnels which connected them form an underground hideout from the Allied forces. Of course, they now are no longer safe to enter. 

I hear that the highest peak in the center of the crater is no longer open either, due to erosion, but we are happy to stay on the lower path. The day has turned out to be very hot and humid, and the trail more of a hike. Even the sea breeze doesn't help, and we wished we had brought more water. I stop to examine a cactus, (and catch my breath) and wonder at the light colored rock that makes the dramatic cliffs. If it is sandstone, how is it withstanding the buffeting waves? I start to worry if the path we are on is actually unsafe, liable to crumble and take us down with it. Being a volcanic island, Jeju is made up almost entirely of black basalt.

But Songaksan is actually an older volcano that erupted many times over a long period of time. The basaltic tuff, or ash, settled in layers that resemble sandstone, but is not as soft. Nice to know.

As we continued round the crater, we could look out on a couple of small flat islands that claim to be the most southern parts of Korea. Some tourists take boat rides out there, but there is not much to see, as legend has it a farmer burned down all the trees fearing an invasion of snakes. This made sense to me, after seeing endless signs warning of the creatures, and coming face to face with a four foot snake at the entrance to my residence. 

We were thankful of the shade as the path continued through a forest of pine. A few horses were grazing nearby and I have seen several references to wild horses and the island of Jeju. Apparently the Mongol empire first started breeding horses here during the 13th century, and now they are a recognized breed protected as cultural property, and each pedigree is recorded.  Even the famous Olle trail symbol is shaped like a pony, although I believe that is more in reference to the slow leisurely walk of the pony. 

As we complete the circular path around Songaksan and head toward the nearby shops for cool drinks and popsicles, I notice again the marker for a Dark Tourism site.  The sign describes this as a place connected with death, disaster, or great sadness. And even if it is true that people visit this place to learn about history and remember the past, I doubt that was the aim of most tourists I see around me.

 Here we enjoy watching the dolphins and crashing waves along the dramatic coast; we walk along the cliffs and beaches then enjoy the seafood; some swim and others walk the Olle trails.  Is it wrong to ignore the darker side of tourism? Probably, but I like to learn what I can while enjoying the natural beauty of the place. Fortunately Jeju allows me to do it all.  

However, I suggest a going when the weather is cooler... 

For Flavia

 

Recently I became aware of my father's journals written during his time in the British army.  I was surprised to find that, at the age of 19, he was shipped out to Kuala Lumpur as an officer in what was called the Malayan Emergency. Even more surprising was the fact that he wrote a journal for every day of the year he was there.  He did confess to writing 'fingerposts' daily and then expanding the journal entry for that day when he had more time. 

My father, John Taylor, never discussed his army experience to us growing up.  I knew nothing of his time in Malaya until I read the journals. It turns out that his role was mainly a clerical one: making purchases for the men, paying bills and balancing accounts. However, he wrote about every detail of the daily activities and described everything he saw, including the butterflies and birds. I do not know why the journals are dedicated "For Flavia", but can only imagine Flavia encouraged him to write.  

By the time he started his third notebook, now ten months in, he started to question the need to continue. This is how it begins:

Tuesday, March 18th (1952). Embarking on my third volume of memoirs, I am still uncertain whether it is a moment more fitting for elation or melancholy.  Elation for my constancy or melancholy that I am now a manifest martyr to the daily routine of the written word. Amongst these doubts however, my pleasure in these little jottings is not unprofound.  It is probably unnecessary to remark that I am writing many days in arrears and the fingerposts on my slip are embodied in six words: 'Rain and idleness, chess and frustration'.  Of chess I remember a closely contested encounter with Dickie in which the balance was finally tipped by his superior weight of pawns. I have now lost three but this was the closest of them all and for a considerable space of time I had a knight and bishop pitted against his castle and at one juncture it seemed that I must win.  I am full of confidence for the fourth encounter. 'Frustration' beats me entirely, but may reflect on my growing propensity for idleness; inability to work and my now manifest atrophy of book reading. 'The rain', it raineth everyday; and 'idleness'; how can I expatiate on that when my diary is nearly a whole week stale?

Evidently there was quite a bit of downtime.  And throughout, I find my father trying to come to terms with the British army's presence in Malaya. I have to remember that he had only just left school, and was now in an ambiguous battle where there was no clear enemy. The practice of writing helped to make sense of it all, especially when attempting to explain it to someone so far removed. I believe this was a defining time for my father, as he later went on to dedicate his talents to literacy in southern Brazil, and learned how to bridge the gap between cultures.  He continued to keep a bird diary throughout his life, and was a regular letter writer. During my four years of college, without telephone or internet for communication, my

dad wrote a letter each week describing the happenings at home. I loved those letters... and swore that one day I would publish them as a book. They kept me connected to home and reminded me that I was always in my father's thoughts. My father wrote primarily because he loved writing, but in me he also found an appreciative audience.

Writing has become a source of comfort and enjoyment for me as well. I write to understand, to remember and to overcome feelings of inadequacy. I enjoy many other activities, those that tap into my creativity, but writing my blog has become my favorite. I completely understand that I don't have a "Flavia" to write for, and most people of Facebook don't have time to read my jottings... but I am my father's daughter.  

My father's Journal, for interest:  Journal 1 Shipping Out                   Journal 1 Malaya

Lava Rock and Tangerine Tea

Visiting Jeju for the first time? Having the ability to drive ourselves, using the local navigation app, we looked online for places to go.  Our first destination is a nature preserve on the south side of the island that advertises views of volcanic cliffs. It is named for 'jusangjeolli', the Korean term for columnar jointing. We did not take into consideration the weekend traffic or, as it turned out, the crowds of tourists. The parking lot was full, with lots of buses and vans unloading visitors. We stood in line to pay the small entrance fee, and browsed the shops selling tangerine juice and tangerine themed souvenirs. The walkways took us to viewing points where we had to wait our turn to pose and photograph the hexagonal shaped columns of black rock. 

I wondered if there was anything else to see or do, but noticed the crowds heading towards the exit.  Back outside we noticed a sign with what we assumed were prices for parking, but even Google translate didn't help us understand where and how to pay. I suggested we just drive off without paying, but Jon wanted more information.  He looked around for someone to ask.  Most of the other tourists appeared to be Korean, and so probably wouldn't speak English, but there were a couple of foreigners like us.  When approached, they explained that they were here on a tour and couldn't help us with parking.  Driving out we were stopped at the gate and fortunately we had some ₩won and were able to get by without breaking the law. 

We continued into town for lunch, but again found ourselves fighting traffic and confusing road signs. Having been warned that traffic cameras will capture any infractions and ticket us, we were nervous to get caught speeding, running a STOP sign or illegal parking. One of the most confusing signs was the crossed out arrow painted on the road. So we drove around and left the car in a lot below the entrance to the World Cup Stadium.  This is an impressive building that now houses a cinema, jogging track and water park.  We are hoping to watch a soccer game there before the season ends in November. 

Continuing our sightseeing, we stopped at the Tea Museum not far from where we live. As I expected, this was a tourist trap.  The surrounding tea plantation was beautifully clipped and ready for visitors to pose, similar to how one might take selfies among the grapevines at a winery. The 'museum' as actually a large gift shop, cafe and restaurant. We tasted the peanut flavored green tea and macha before purchasing a few tangerine teabags.  Another building sold beauty products and soap made from tea. This opened up into a delightful cafe where one can sit and sip tea overlooking the green tea fields. Everything screamed "social media post".  The teapots and cups were made of glass so the light shone through the golden liquid inside. Dainty tea flavored biscuits and cakes produce an upscale treat that gives you a taste of the local citrus fruit. 

Our 'high tea' at the tea plantation contrasted greatly with our lunch at the McDonalds in town.  Although the fast food restaurant is not Korean food, it showed me more of authentic Korean culture than the tourist spots. Like almost all other restaurants here, there is no one to take your order. At fast food places you use the big screens to order and pay, where in sit down places there is a smaller screen at the table. I am able to practice my Korean alphabet sounds by reading the menu; 맥도날드 (pronounced maek-doo-nal-deu); I find they serve crab cake wraps and burgers with Korean pepper cream cheese. Every restaurant has at least one umbrella stand full of umbrellas by the door. McDonalds has a machine that wraps your wet umbrella in plastic so you can carry it inside without dripping.  We took our food upstairs and discovered that a small boys was following us. He believed we had dropped a US dime, and wanted to make sure he returned it to us. His kind consideration was touching. 

In my haste to get to know what Jeju wants foreigners to appreciate: the scenic coast, the tea and tangerine plantations, the traditional fishing industry and the beaches; I was overlooking what I need to appreciate a life here: learning the language, the customs and food.  All of South Korea relies heavily on technology in service industries; there is no need to speak the language in order to make a purchase; just use the app. But there is a need to speak the language in order to connect with those who live here and can introduce us to so much more on this island.